Tokina is not the only manufacturer to produce a unique prime standard macro lens. Pentax has the nearly identical, at least in specifications, smc DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited. Nikon also competes with its AF-S DX Micro NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G.

Price, marketed at about $600 (USD), it can be found for half that price on a number of web retail sites like Amazon and B&H. This makes it a bargain against the $700 priced Pentax smc DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited.

Better resolution, especially against Pentax’s 35mm macro, and at the widest apertures of f/2.8 and f/4.

Controlling chromatic aberration, making it particularly useful in high contrast environments.

Price, with a suggested retail value of $280 (USD), it is the most affordable lens of the three.

Photographers considering an investment in a Pentax camera and pool of lenses will be happy to know the smc DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited ran mostly even with the image quality of Tokina’s 35mm f/2.8 macro and Nikon’s 40mm f/2.8 micro. The Pentax lens’ biggest advantage is its size, measuring about 4.5 centimeters in length and weighing a feather-like 215 grams, makes it an ideal piece of optics for photographers who are looking to lighten the load of their camera bags.

To provide photographers with a broader perspective about mobiles, lenses and cameras, here are links to articles, reviews, and analyses of photographic equipment produced by DxOMark, renown websites, magazines or blogs.

Are you a Canon or Nikon photographer looking for a versatile prime standard lens? The Tokina’s AT-X M35 PRO DX AF 35mm f/2.8 Macro might be the lens for you. It gives users myriad shooting options: you can take portraits, photograph detail oriented macro pictures, or snap landscape images. DxOMark takes a look at how the lens performs on select Canon and Nikon cameras, and how it stacks up against rivals.